The invention relates generally to electrodes and more particularly to multiple electrode assemblies for use in electrocardiograph (EKG or ECG) devices.
Electrocardiographic (EKG) devices are medical devices which record electrical impulses generated by a patient""s heart and display the impulses on a monitor and/or record the impulses on paper or electronic media. EKG tracing typically involves positioning ten electrodes on the surface of the patient""s body with each electrode corresponding to a particular area of the patient""s heart. Generally six of the electrodes (V1-V6) are positioned in the rib cage area and the remaining four electrodes are respectively positioned in the area of the right arm (RA), left arm (LA), right leg (RL) and left leg (LL). Proper positioning of the electrodes is necessary to achieve a correct reading of the EKG. Accurately positioning and attaching the electrodes can be difficult and time consuming and requires a skilled technician or nurse.
Conventional electrodes are positioned with each electrode separately attached to an individual respective lead wire. The lead wires are connected to an electrocardiograph device by way of an interconnect cable. The lead wires have a tendency to become tangled with one anotherxe2x80x94thus making the attachment process more difficult.
A number of patents, such as Beitler, U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,238, and Kelly et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,159, for example, have been directed to techniques for coupling the electrodes to a common connector. Beitler describes a flexible pad including multiple embedded electrodes (V1 to V6) grouped in plural sets of electrodes corresponding to particular body sizes and a switch to select the appropriate set with the pad being held in place by a weight. Kelly et al. describes an embodiment wherein several non-conductive sheets each have a single array of electrodes (V1 to V6) positioned thereon and coupled to a common connector such that most body sizes can be accommodated by having a few different sizes of sheets. Both Beitler and Kelly et al. appear to be limited to a multiple electrode array of chest electrodes V1 to V6.
It would be desirable to have a multiple electrode assembly that can more easily be applied to patients having different body sizes.
Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a multiple electrode assembly comprises at least one fixed electrode; at least one extendible electrode; and electrically conductive interconnections coupling the at least one fixed electrode and the at least one extendible electrode to a common connector. The at least one extendible electrode is adapted to be physically separable from the at least one fixed electrode while remaining electrically coupled to the common connector.